


The Cain Instinct

by Trickster_Angel



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: 5+1 Things, Annoyed Nero, Another way of saying Dante and Vergil beat the crap out of each other at every opportunity, Canon-Typical Violence, Dante and Vergil are back from Hell, Explicit Language, Gen, Humor, Lady and Trish acting as the peanut gallery, OC is Nero and Kyrie's child, Post DMC5, Pregnancy, Sibling Rivalry, Terfs Do Not Interact, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trickster_Angel/pseuds/Trickster_Angel
Summary: Nero collapsed on Kyrie's shoulder. She ran a hand through his hair gently.“Why do I always have to play the referee?”Despite their time in Hell, Dante and Vergil haven't settled their differences. Now living together in Devil May Cry, they seem to fight all the time, and only one person is brave enough to stop them. Nero just wants them to get along.5 times Nero broke up Vergil and Dante's fights and 1 time he walked away
Relationships: background Nero/Kyrie
Comments: 15
Kudos: 100





	1. Chapter 1

It was a normal morning. Nero and Kyrie were having breakfast. Kyrie had already given Nico some food and she was in the garage, as usual. But it was nice to have a calm morning.

The phone rang. Spoke too soon.

Nero picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, kid. Looking for something to do?" Dante asked. 

"Sure," Nero said. He grabbed a pen and pad of paper. "What is it?"

"This one's close to Fortuna." There was the sound of a drawer opening. "There's a-" Dante trailed off.

"Dante?" Nero asked, "Dante."

"Be right back, kid." The line didn't disconnect so Nero could hear shouting. Then there was a crash.

"Hello? Dante? What's going on?"

But Dante didn't answer. The sounds of fighting continued. 

Nero relaxed against the fridge. Dante could handle most anything. And Vergil was there too. Between the two of them, they had this covered. Nero just had to wait for whatever demon decided to challenge them to die and Dante would be back.

"Is everything okay?" Kyrie asked.

"Yeah. Dante's fighting something but he'll be done soon."

But one minute turned into five minutes. The sounds of fighting didn't stop. Devil May Cry had to be destroyed by now. 

"Dante!" Nero shouted into the phone. But there was no reply. Just another crash.

"Nero?" Kyrie asked, "What's going on?"

"He's still fighting" Nero said, "I'm heading over." He ran to get his weapons.

"I'll keep listening," Kyrie said, "I'll call you if he stops."

"Thanks," Nero replied, "Nico!"

"Yeah!" She called from the garage.

"We're heading to Devil May Cry."

"What for?" 

Nero jumped into the passenger seat and Nico was quick to follow. 

"Something's happening at Devil May Cry. Get there as fast as you can."

"You got it." 

The screech the van made as they pulled out told Nero he was gonna regret saying that.

* * *

They reached the shop in record time and Nero was queasy but had not lost his breakfast. Kyrie had called to say that the call has ended but she'd heard the fight until then. So Nero was ready to fight himself.

The van screeched to a halt in front of Devil May Cry. There were sounds of battle coming from inside. Even from the front, Nero could see the damage. Windows were broken and one of the doors was off its hinges.

Nero got out of the car and attached a Punchline arm. He had Blue Rose at the ready. With that, he rushed inside.

Nero expected the mess. There were dents in the walls. All the furniture was destroyed. The only thing left intact was the desk. 

He expected to see a flood of demons. He couldn't sense them but he expected it. But instead, he saw only Trish and Lady. They both sat on the desk and were sharing a pizza. They were pretty nonchalant considering the state of the place. Actually, now that Nero was thinking about it, he only sensed three demons.

"Hey, Nero," Lady said.

Nero lowered his gun. "What's going on?"

There was a crash from outside.

"What do you mean?" Trish asked coyly. 

"Dante called me but had to deal with something. Then I hear fighting and he doesn't come back to the phone. The place is fucking trashed and I can  _ hear _ fighting. What's going on?"

"Go take a look," Trish said and gestured to the back.

Nero went through the kitchen to the back door. He kept his weapons out. He trusted that Trish and Lady wouldn't knowingly send him to his death but he could survive a lot. And he didn't feel like washing blood out of his coat.

Nero made it to the back, gun raised and saw the source of the fighting. One blue and one red demon were wailing on each other. They didn't even notice him, too consumed with their battle to pause.

Nero could feel his blood boiling. Was  _ this _ what he survived Nico's driving for?

"Hey assholes!" He shouted and triggered. He flew over to them and ripped them apart, throwing each as far as he could.

As far as he could meant a good few yards. It was especially delightful when they each slammed into a building and resumed their human forms. The dramatic slide down the buildings' walls to the ground didn't defuse Nero's anger.

"Hey, kid!" Dante called, rubbing the back of his head. He'd left a dent in the building.

Vergil was quiet but he too had damaged the building he'd collided with. The twins walked back from their respective corners and to Nero.

He shifted back but his wings remained visible. "Nico and I drove from Fortuna to find out what happened to you. I think something's wrong. And you're fighting in the back! Didn't you get enough of that in Hell?!"

"You should have known-"

"Vergil, shut the fuck up," Nero said.

Vergil looked annoyed but did as he was told.

"Do you two just have some sort of need to kill each other? You can't fucking get along?!"

"Look, it's just how we show our love," Dante said, "You don't have a brother. You wouldn't understand."

"Yeah, it's real brotherly to wreck the shop," Nero said, "Was it worth it?"

"Yup."

"Yes."

"Look, Vergil started it all."

"All I did was clean up. You live in filth."

"It's lived-in."

"It's destroyed!" Nero interrupted, "So it doesn't matter!"

"And he threw away my magazines."

"They're filth."

"Just because you don't have any needs-"

"Was this all about porn!?" Nero demanded.

"Well, yeah-" 

Nero used his wing to backhand Dante. And just because he was annoyed, he did the same to Vergil.

Dante landed two buildings down and groaned. 

Nero stalked over to him. He didn't care what happened to Vergil. But he still needed something from his uncle.

Dante was sitting up as Nero arrived.

"What's the mission?" Nero asked.

"It's on the desk," Dante replied.

"It better still be there," Nero replied. He turned around and went back inside Devil May Cry.

Lady and Trish were smirking. 

"You got the job?" Nero asked.

Trish lifted up a note between her fingers. 

"Did you break him?" Lady asked.

Nero snatched the note. "Probably not. Go see for yourself." He paused. "Have they  _ always _ been like this?"

"Yeah," both women answered.

"I didn't know Vergil long but he was a real son of a bitch," Lady said, "The whole time he was around, he and Dante fought."

"When I knew him, he wasn't in the right mindstate to want anything but I'm sure if he was, he would have fought Dante anyway," Trish added.

Nero didn't know what "in the right mindstate" meant but he wasn't gonna ask. Not yet anyway; he was way too angry.

"Great. This is normal. I'll see you later."

He left Devil May Cry. Nero got back in the van and slammed the door. He handed Nico the paper. "Here. This is where we're going."

"What's got you all pissy?" She asked as she took the note. 

But Nero ignored her and picked up the phone. He dialed the house and waited.

Kyrie picked up after seven rings. "Hello."

"Hey, Kyrie," Nero said, anger melting away at the sound of her voice.

"Is everything okay?" 

"Yeah. Dante and Vergil are assholes. I'm going on a mission and then we'll come home."

"Okay. Be safe. I love you."

"I love you too. See you tonight." He hung up.

"So what'd they do?" Nico asked with a smirk.

"I run all the way here and Dante and Vergil were just trying to kill each other. Over something stupid."

"What?"

"Vergil cleaned and threw out Dante's porn. I wish I was making this up."

Nico laughed. "That's brothers."

"And that's the last time I worry about those assholes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new fandom for me. Let's see how this one will go.  
> Please leave a kudos or comment if you enjoyed the story. If you want to see what comes next, please subscribe. Otherwise, I will see you next Sunday for chapter 2.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a few days without a mission. Despite still being annoyed with Dante, Nero gave him a call.

"Devil May Cry."

"Hey, you got any missions?"

"Hey, kid. There's not a lot going on right now."

"Look, I need some money," Nero said, "Any jobs you can throw my way?"

"Well, if you're desperate, come over now. Was just about to leave for something but you can tag along."

"I can take care of it myself," Nero said with an edge in his voice.

"Not this time, kid. There's a lot of demons and reports of a big one. It's all hands on deck for this one."

"So you and me?"

"And Vergil."

"Why him?" Nero asked.

"All hands on deck."

"What are Trish and Lady doing?"

"Evac and damage control."

"Why can't I go with them?"

"They've got that handled. If you're coming, you're better on the front line."

Nero really needed the money. "Fine. I'll be right there."

"See you soon, kid." 

* * *

Nico and Nero pulled up to Devil May Cry without incident. As soon as the van came to a halt, Dante strutted outside. He had Kalina Ann over his shoulder and was wearing Dr. Faust. 

"Hey, Nico," he called.

"'Sup, Dante," she replied. 

He climbed into the van. "Verge'll be out in a second." He took a seat on the couch.

As promised, Vergil walked out of Devil May Cry, looking annoyed. But Nero had never seen him show any other emotion, so maybe it was the only one he could manage. He climbed in the van as well, and looked disgusted by the condition. Never mind. There was the second one. Granted, Nero also thought it was filthy in the van, and he frequently told Nico that, but they were friends. Vergil was not.

"If you got a problem, say it," Nero snapped.

"There is no problem," Vergil replied. He sat down next to Dante. 

"Here's the place," Dante said and leaned over to hand Nico a note. 

She took it and looked it over. "Alright. Sit tight. We'll be there in no time."

She took off. It was fairly tame for Nico's driving. But as they got closer to their destination, the more demons appeared and the more bumpy the ride got. Nero was already clinging to the passenger side door and the trouble hadn't even really started yet.

"What's the matter?" Dante asked in a teasing tone, "Nico's driving scare you?'

Nero was about to tell Dante to shut up but Vergil answered instead, "Her driving leaves much to be desired."

"Hey, shut up or you can walk," Nero snapped.

"It's my van," Nico replied. She turned to Vergil. "So shut it or you can walk."

"Eyes on the road," Nero yelled. There were hoards of demons in front of them. Dante hadn't been kidding about this mission.

"We're barreling through them," Nico said, "Hold onto somethin'."

And barrel they did. They smashed into demons, goo flying on the windshield. Nero scrambled for the seatbelt, because he knew how this was gonna go down.

"You're insane," Vergil said.

"Tell her something she doesn't know," Nero said.

"Hey, less talkin’ and more shootin’. These demons ain't gonna kill themselves."

Nero sighed as he undid the seatbelt. He opened the window and stuck his torso out. And he started firing at demons in their path.

"Here!" Dante said. Nero heard the van door open up behind him and the sound of quick gunshots.

"I cannot use this weapon," Vergil said.

"You used it just fine against Arkham," Dante shot back.

"That was twenty-six years ago."

Nero choked. He was twenty-six.

"Just shoot. With this many demons you'll hit something."

There was a sigh and then a lot more gunfire. 

The demon hoard was thinning dramatically as they drove by. They drove over demon corpses, and Nero could feel every little bump. He grabbed onto the handle over the door to steady himself. He had no idea what Dante and Vergil were doing to stop themselves from falling out of the van but he didn't worry about it.

Up ahead, a patch of concrete had been dislodged. It was making a little ramp in the road. 

"Nico!" Nero yelled.

"I see it!" She veered far to the left and hit a bump. The van started to turn over.

Nero triggered and threw himself out the window. He wasn't gonna deal with that. But it made attacking the demons much easier. They quickly fell to his blade. 

In only a matter of seconds, the area was clear. Nero shifted back and looked at the van, which had landed on its side. Dante and Vergil had jumped and triggered as well and were shifting back just as Nero ran for the van.

"Nico!"

There was a grunt and Nico lifted herself out from Nero's side window. "Would y'all mind givin' a girl a hand and putting her van right?"

"Fine," Nero said. Once Nico was on the ground, he triggered and pushed the van back on its wheels.

"Thank you," Nico said, "I'll be here if you need me." She took out a cigarette and lit up.

"Alright, let's go," Dante said. He started off with Vergil and Nero following behind.

It was more of the same. There were a ton of demons running around but they were nothing compared to the three of them. They slowly made their way through the area, killing demons and looking out for the big one they'd been warned about.

Their pursuit led them into an abandoned town square. Tall buildings surrounded the perimeter. And it was full of demons. All different kinds were just hanging around. But once they were noticed, hoards of demons rushed at them.

All three set to work, Nero using his line to pull himself towards one of the bigger ones, Dante starting out with his guns and Vergil going into the fray with Yamato.

Nero was preoccupied with his fight but he still turned to look at his relatives every once in a while.

Vergil went to finish off a smaller demon when a quick series of gunshots exploded it into red orbs. Vergil glared at Dante. Ebony and Ivory were still smoking.

"That was my prey," Vergil said darkly.

"You were too slow," Dante replied with a shit eating grin.

So Vergil lashed out at Dante with Yamato. 

Dante jumped back but didn't lose that grin.

"Are you fucking serious?" Nero yelled. But Dante and Vergil ignored him to continue their fight.

At that moment, the demons started to scatter. Nero let them run, watching them disperse in every direction. "What the-"

A giant demon smashed a building near them. It was several stories tall, covered in brown fur and slobbered as it roared. 

Nero looked back. Dante and Vergil weren't even looking at it. That was fine. He'd kill it. He equipped a Rawhide and ran to face the demon head on.

It was a tough fight with absolutely no help but Nero managed to kill it after several minutes, three arms, and two devil triggers later. But he was exhausted, covered in blood and  _ his stupid uncle and father were _ still _ fighting! _

So Nero sprinted at them and jumped. He triggered midair and allowed the breeze to make him climb even higher. Then he tucked his wings in and fell. He fell a good two stories when he landed on Dante and Vergil. He grabbed their heads and smashed them into the ground, landing perfectly on his feet. 

"Enough," he snarled, "If you two can't get along for  _ one _ mission, don't go on one together. You would have been killed trying to kill each other without me. Grow up. Understand?"

When Nero didn't get an answer from either of them, he wondered if he'd knocked them unconscious. But they were both too tense for that. Granted, their faces were still smashed into the gravel.

But, he didn't care enough. He shifted back and let them go, hurrying off to find Nico. He was gonna tell her to drive away without them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Please leave a kudos or comment if you enjoyed it. This upcoming week is ockissweek so I'll be publishing a lot of stories so the next chapter will be published next Monday (2/17). See you then and look forward to my upcoming stories. :)


	3. Chapter 3

It was Kyrie's idea. Nero would have been perfectly content to tell people one at a time but Kyrie wanted a big announcement party.

Nico, of course, already knew. She had been around for the whole process. But no one else knew. 

Kyrie had been working all day to prepare a dinner party for everyone. Nero alternated between cleaning the house and doing the dishes Kyrie left in the sink. But that didn't stop his nerves. This was a huge announcement to more or less his side of the family. His uncle, his uncle's friends, and his father. He was dreading it.

"Nero, are you okay?" Kyrie asked.

"Yeah," Nero said.

"You've been washing that fork for five minutes."

Nero looked at the fork in his hands. He quickly ran it under the hot water and put it on the dish rack.

"Are you worried about tonight?" 

"I guess so."

She kissed his cheek. "It will be okay. Everyone will be happy for us."

"I'm more worried that Dante and Vergil are gonna fight again."

"I'm sure they'll behave."

Nero wasn't sure he believed her but her assurances made him feel better. Which was fortunate, as someone was knocking at the door.

"Would you get that?" Kyrie asked, "I'll finish up here."

"I'll be right back," Nero said, "Leave it."

He rushed to the door. Dante, Trish, Lady, and Vergil were there, the former three smiling and the latter, not.

"Come on in," Nero said and moved out of their way. 

They all filed in. Lady was carrying a tray that she set down in the kitchen. Everyone else started to sit down and chat. Vergil just looked around the room like it had insulted him.

"Hey, all!" Nico said as she pounded down the stairs. "This everyone?"

"Yeah."

"What is the occasion for this?" Vergil asked, sounding so bored.

"We can't just have a party to have a party?" Dante asked.

"Actually, Kyrie!" Nero called.

She walked into the main room. Everyone went quiet. 

"Want to tell everyone the good news?" Nero asked.

Kyrie was beaming. "Nero and I are expecting."

The room burst into applause. Except Vergil. He just stood up and grabbed Kyrie roughly by her arm. "You little who-" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Dante yanked him away and Nero got between them his wife. 

That should have been the end of it but Dante punched Vergil and that made it only the beginning. 

"Take it outside!" Nero yelled. 

They both triggered and flew outside.

"And now, it's a party," Lady said.

Trish and Nico laughed.

"Are you okay?" Nero asked gently. 

Kyrie nodded, "I'm okay. He didn't hurt me." 

"That was weird," Nico said.

"I'm gonna stop that fight," Nero said, "I'll be right back."

Kyrie nodded again and Nero ran outside. He triggered and flew over to his relatives. He slammed their heads together, which caused them both to shift back.

"Stress is bad for Kyrie and the baby," Nero said, "Now behave or you can fly back home."

Then Nero grabbed Vergil. He held him by his lapels and said, "If you ever touch my wife again, I'll make your trip to Hell look like a walk in the park. Got it?"

He didn't wait for an answer. Instead he shoved Vergil away. 

He stepped back a few paces but didn't stumble. "There is something-"

"I don't wanna hear it." Nero shifted back and walked inside.

He really didn't want to have to deal with them. At least until the kid was eighteen. Maybe he and Kyrie could run far, far, _far_ away. There had to be somewhere in the world his half-demon relatives couldn't find him.

* * *

Nero bolted awake. There was a demon close by. A very powerful one. 

"Nero?" Kyrie asked. She sat up and looked at him blearily.

"There's a demon," Nero said, jumping out of bed. He grabbed Blue Rose and went for Red Queen. 

"Nero, it's dangerous," Kyrie said, suddenly more awake.

Nero replied, "I'm not gonna sit by and let a demon get you or the baby."

"Nero!" 

He triggered and jumped out the window. He scanned the town, looking for trouble. But every house was dark. Even in the middle of the night, a demon of this caliber would be causing a scene. 

Nero flew up even higher and spotted the demon. Vergil was standing on the roof of his home.

He landed on the roof a few feet away from Vergil. "What do you want?" He snarled, his voice deeper and reverberating in his demon state.

"Your wife is cheating on you."

Nero blinked and shifted back. "What?!"

"That baby has no demonic power. It is not yours."

"Of-" Nero stopped. Vergil didn't know he was trans. He'd told Dante and his friends knew. But he hadn't told Vergil. It hadn't even occurred to him to do it. Of course he couldn't impregnate Kyrie. They'd used a sperm donor to have this child so genetically, they were not Nero's. 

That left Nero in a dilemma. He could admit he was trans and agree that the baby had no demonic power. Or he could play along. And no one called his Kyrie a whore.

The choice was obvious, really.

Nero scoffed. "What do you mean the baby's not mine? Of course they are."

"Can't you sense demonic power? Isn't that what led you up here?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Can you sense any power from your wife?"

"The baby is one eighth demon."

"As powerful as you are at only a quarter demon, your child should also possess some demonic power. It has none."

Nero paused for dramatic effect. "Kyrie would never cheat on me."

"If that is what you believe," Vergil said, "I will be going."

"Yeah, you do that."

Vergil used Yamato to open a portal. It closed behind him not a moment later. 

And Nero lost it. He collapsed onto the roof laughing. Vergil would find out eventually and Nero couldn't wait to see his face when he did.

* * *

The next morning, the phone rang. Nero quickly picked it up. "Hello?"

He was greeted to Dante's laughter. He could also hear Lady and Trish laughing in the background. And even further away, he could hear Vergil demanding to know what was so funny.

"You must be a hell of an actor," Dante said, "Vergil thinks you're in denial that Kyrie is cheating on you."

"Apparently the baby isn't a demon," Nero said, a smile coming up his face. He leaned against the kitchen counter.

Dante laughed for a moment before he could get it together again. "Can I tell him?"

"Eh, go ahead."

A hand went against the receiver but Nero could still hear Dante yelling, "Nero's trans!"

There was a moment of pure silence, then, "What?"

The laughter renewed and even Nero couldn't help himself. "Let me talk to him." 

"One second." There was a bit of shuffling. Nero could still hear Lady and Trish laughing. 

"Hello?" Vergil asked. 

"I'm trans," Nero said, "Kyrie and I used a sperm donor to have a child."

There was a pause. "I see. And you could not say that last night?"

"Nah." 

The call ended. And Nero just laughed. That was totally worth his father looking like a fool. Served Vergil right for being a jerk to his wife.


	4. Chapter 4

The months progressed and the baby's due date grew closer and closer. Nero and Kyrie fixed up a spare bedroom as a nursery. They spent months baby proofing the house and putting locks on all doors that led to something dangerous. 

Nero took on more jobs to get more money for the baby. And they'd need a buffer since Nero planned to stay home while the baby was very young. 

Eventually, Kyrie started labor. She was driven to the hospital by Nico, with Nero screaming at her to slow the fuck down. 

But they arrived mostly painlessly and Kyrie got whisked away. Which left Nero and Nico waiting. They sat in the waiting room, Nero's leg bouncing in anticipation.

"Relax," Nico said, "Kyrie'll be fine."

"I know," Nero said. He stilled his leg and started drumming his fingers on the armrest of Nico's chair.

"Why don't you call Dante?" Nico said, "I bet your daddy'll like to know he's a granddaddy."

"I guess so," Nero said, "If anything happens-"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be the first to know." 

Nero walked over to the pay phone and dialed the number. 

"Devil May Cry." That was Lady's voice.

"Hey, Lady," Nero said. He rested against the phone box. 

"Are you okay, Nero?" She asked, "You sound off."

"Kyrie's in labor," he said.

"Whoa. No wonder. She'll be fine."

"I know."

"I'll get everyone and we'll be right over."

"Great. Thanks."

They hung up and Nero went back to his chair. He started tapping his foot.

"Nero, you gotta stop," Nico said.

"I'm not doing anything," Nero replied. He stopped tapping his foot and started vibrating.

"Chill. It's gonna be fine."

"I know." Nero stilled himself. "I'm calm."

A nurse came in and called Nero's name.

He jumped up. "Is my wife alright? What about the baby?"

"Totally calm," Nico said.

The nurse smiled. "Your wife is fine. She just gave birth to a healthy baby boy."

Nero collapsed back into his chair. Kyrie was okay. He had a son.

"Congratulations, Daddy." Nico said and pat Nero on the back.

He let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "Don't ever call me that again."

She just laughed.

"You can go in to see them both if you want."

"Yeah." 

"I'll wait for everyone," Nico said, "You go see Kyrie."

"Thanks, Nico."

"Welcome. But I ain't holdin' them back when they get here."

"Okay."

Nero was instructed to wash up and then was allowed into the room. Kyrie was lying on a bed with a tiny bundle in her arms.

"Nero," She said with a smile. 

"That's him," Nero said.

"This is our son," Kyrie said. She showed Nero.

The baby was very pink. He had a red spot on his forehead and already had the beginnings of dark hair. He was just so tiny. 

"Isn't he beautiful?"

"He's perfect," Nero said. He brushed Kyrie's hair back and kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

She laughed. "Do you want to hold him?" 

She didn't even wait for an answer. She just transferred him into Nero's arms.

Their baby was practically weightless. Nero was used to carrying weapons so a baby was nothing. He was just so small. What a precious little thing.

"What should we name him?" Nero asked.

"What do you think of Christophe?" Kyrie asked.

"The beginning sounds like Credo," Nero said, "I think it's a great name."

"Should we give him a middle name?"

"Evan. I want his middle name to be Evan."

"Okay. Christophe Evan." 

The nurse returned. "You have visitors."

"Could you please let them in?" Kyrie asked.

The nurse went away for a moment and came back with Dante, Vergil, Lady, Trish, and Nico. “Don’t stay too long,” she warned and then left.

“Well, let’s see him,” Dante said. 

Nero brought his son over for them all to see. There were several oohs and ahs. 

“Wow, he is tiny,” Dante said.

“That’s how it works,” Vergil replied.

Dante rolled his eyes. “Come on, Vergil. That’s your grandson. You’re an old man now.”

"What's his name?" Lady asked.

"Christophe Evan," Kyrie said.

Dante and Vergil exchanged a glance that didn't escape Nero's notice. "His middle name came from my grandmother.”

“Aww, isn’t that sweet,” Nico said with a smirk.

“For any children we have, the boys’ middle names will be Evan and the girls’ will be Eva.”

Nero had never seen Dante and Vergil with such a soft expression. Mentioning their mother seemed to erase the harshness of their lives, if only temporarily. Just for a second, Nero could see the little boys who loved their mother dearly. 

“You would name your children after her?” Vergil asked.

“Yes. Because your mother was a saint and it's a miracle you survived to adulthood.”

The women all laughed a little. 

“Nero,” Kyrie said.

“So, do we get to hold him?” Nico asked.

“Do you want him first, Kyrie?” Nero asked.

“It’s okay. They can hold him,” Kyrie replied.

“Sure. Who wants to go first?”

“Me,” Dante and Vergil said.

“Oh boy,” Nico said.

“I am his grandfather,” Vergil said.

“I’ve been in Nero’s life longer.”

“I am his  _ father _ .”

“I actually knew he was trans.”

“ _ Enough! _ ” Nero’s wings appeared from his back. “Get out. How dare you fight in front of my newborn son and wife.”

There was a coo. Everyone looked at Christophe. He’d woken up and was entranced by Nero’s wings. He was blinking a lot.

“He likes your wings,” Trish said.

“That’s cute,” Lady agreed, “Should we go?”

“Let’s.” Each woman grabbed a twin and escorted him out. 

“I’ll be in the lobby when you’re ready,” Nico said, “Can’t wait to hold him.” And she showed herself out.

Nero’s wings disappeared.

No longer watching the pretty lights, Christophe started to cry.

“I think he’s hungry,” Kyrie said, “May I?”

Nero handed their son back to her and then collapsed on her shoulder. 

Kyrie ran a hand through his hair gently.

“Why do I always have to play the referee?”

“They’re your family.  _ Our _ family.”

“You are also a saint,” Nero said and gave Kyrie a kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, who can guess why I chose Christophe's name to be Christophe? Hint: It's something I took from my Catholic upbringing.
> 
> Thank you for reading. Next chapter will be posted next Sunday. Please leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed it. See you next time. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Desperate times called for desperate measures. And Nero was desperate. Kyrie and Christophe had gotten sick. The doctor said it was the flu and although it wasn't life threatening, Nero forced Kyrie to stay in bed and rest, leaving him to care for the house and Christophe. 

Unfortunately, a sick baby made for a cranky baby. Christophe spent almost every waking hour crying until he exhausted himself. After a little while, he'd wake up and start crying again. It had been days with little sleep for either father or son.

That and with Kyrie sick, the house fell into chaos. And Nero needed help. Desperate times called for desperate measures and Nero knew he was desperate when he was on the phone while his infant son cried on his shoulder.

"Devil May Cry."

"Dante, I need a favor," Nero said. 

"Are you okay? You sound whipped." Dante paused. "Is Christe crying?"

"Yeah. He and Kyrie are sick. I can't take care of both of them and the house. Can you come over?"

"Look, Nero, I don't think you want me over. I don't clean well. Ask Vergil."

"Bring him," Nero said, "I'm begging. For your great-nephew and grandson?"

"If you're asking for both of us, you must be desperate. I'll talk to Vergil."

"Thank you," Nero said.

"Sure, kid. Sit tight."

* * *

It had been an hour. Christophe had finally fallen asleep. He was sitting in his baby swing and Nero had collapsed on the couch. He was exhausted. He knew he should use this time to clean up, to take the burden off Kyrie when she recovered but he couldn't be bothered. Not at the moment.

"Wow, fatherhood tougher than you thought."

Nero looked up to see Nico in the doorway. She'd been mostly holed up in the garage and spending her time elsewhere while everyone was sick. But she was a sight for sore eyes.

"He just fell asleep," Nero whispered, "He was up all night."

"Damn. Poor kid."

"I called Dante and Vergil to help out," Nero said.

Nico gave him a look. "You  _ must  _ be tired. Dante and Vergil?  _ Together? _ "

"Yeah?"

"And you think they're not gonna fight?"

Nero stared blearily at Nico. "Hopefully not."

"Go the fuck to sleep, Nero. Your brain ain't workin'."

"Christe could wake up at any time."

"If he screams, I'll get you."

"Dante and Vergil-" 

"Will be put to work as soon as they get here. Now go."

Nero stood up. "Thanks, Nico."

"Hey, what're friends for, right? Go get some sleep."

Nero dragged himself upstairs and into the bedroom. 

Kyrie was awake and reading. "Are you okay?" She coughed.

"Tired," Nero replied. He collapsed onto the bed.

"What about Christe?"

"Nico's got him."

"Okay. Get some rest," she said.

Nero didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

He woke up to a crash, followed by a baby shrieking. Kyrie bolted awake next to him. Then she starting a coughing fit. 

Nero could sense two powerful demons. So Dante and Vergil had arrived. And Nero couldn't sense anything else.

"Are those fucking bastards fighting again?" He got up and grabbed his weapons. He was quick to jog downstairs to see Nico holding Christophe, looking panicked.

"Where are they?" Nero demanded.

"Outside," she replied, "He was sleepin' so well, too."

That only made Nero angrier.

He ran outside to see, sure enough, the twins fighting,  _ again. _

Nero triggered and flew up so he was level with the second story of the house.

"You disturbed my sick wife and baby," he screamed.

That somehow got their attention. They shifted back.

"Nero," Vergil said.

"Hey, kid," Dante said. They were both pretty calm considering how angry Nero was.

"You _ disturbed _ my sick wife and baby."

They both exchanged a guilty glance. They were  _ supposed  _ to be here to help. 

"Look, Nero."

"You  _ woke up _ my  _ sick wife _ and  _ baby! _ " And Nero attacked.

* * *

Nero walked back inside the house. He tracked in blood on his boots but he didn't care. He'd have a lot of cleaning up to do anyway.

Nico was sitting on the couch, gently bouncing Christophe. He'd stopped crying at least. When she caught sight of him, her eyes widened. "What the fuck happened to you?"

"Language," Nero hissed, "I don't want you saying that around Christophe."

"He's a baby," she replied, "What did you do to 'em? I could hear the screamin'."

"What they deserved," Nero replied.

Christophe looked at his father. Despite Nero being covered in blood, his son laughed and demanded to be picked up.

"Awww, he's gonna grow up to be a killer. Just like his daddy."

Nero shrugged. He wiped the blood off his hands and picked up his son. Christophe giggled. His onesie turned pink where Nero held him.

"You be good for Aunt Nico, okay?" Nero asked.

Christophe babbled in reply. 

"Where're you going?" Nico asked. 

Nero handed his son back to her. "To clean up. Those chains for the van are still in the garage right?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"I'll be back in an hour." And Nero headed out to the garage.

* * *

An hour later, Nero stormed back in. He could hear his son screaming.

"Help," Nico said. She was rocking Christophe to no avail. 

"I got him," Nero said. He picked up Christophe and threw him over his shoulder. He walked with a bounce in his step to try and pacify him. 

Despite the screaming baby, Nero picked up the phone and dialed.

"Devil May Cry."

"Hey, Trish." 

"Is Christophe crying?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Aren't Dante and Vergil supposed to be helping you?"

"About that," Nero said, "I need you to make a pickup."

"Alright. Where is it?"

Nero told her the location. It was about half an hour away in the forest.

"Okay. What am I picking up?"

"Demon-kabob," Nero replied.

He could hear Lady laughing on the other end. 

"We'll get it," Trish said, laughing herself, "Thanks for the tip. Good luck."

"Thanks." 

They both hung up.

Nico was laughing on the couch. "Wow. You're a psycho." She got up and looked at his still screaming son. "You know your daddy's a psycho, little man?"

Christophe continued screaming in response.

"You're scaring him," Nero said.

"I'm scarin’ him by talkin’ to him. And definitely not you soaked in demon blood."

"We're good now," Nero snapped, "Thanks, Nico."

"No problem. Dante and Vergil won't be a problem?"

"No."

"Alright. If you need me, you know where I'll be." She wandered off to the garage. 

"Come on, Christe," Nero said, "Just sleep. I promise you'll feel better."

Christophe just kept crying. 

At least Nero now had only one child to worry about.

* * *

It was a month before Nero heard from Dante again. And even then, he kept their conversation short and to the point. 

The next week in the mail, Nero received a picture from Trish. It was taken on the day Christophe had been sick, Nero had had enough with them, and had given them a beating to remember. He’d then dragged them to the woods, tied them to a tree with the chain and stuck their own swords in their chests. And then called Trish and Lady to pick them up. 

From the picture, they didn’t seem to be able to get out before the ladies showed up. They were both still tied to the tree, Yamato sticking out of Vergil and Devil Sword Dante sticking out of Dante. They were both looking at the camera and shared the exact same pissed off look. 

Nero framed the picture. Kyrie had him take it down but it was still in their bedroom. Nero wasn’t going to give that up for anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kyrie eleison is a prayer meaning Lord have mercy. The second part of the prayer is Christe eleison, which means Christ have mercy. Which is why Kyrie and Nero's son is named Christe. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. The final part will be published next Sunday. Please leave kudos or comments if you enjoyed it. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Nero was at Devil May Cry with Dante and Vergil. Lady and Trish were off on their own, to where, who knew. But the rest of them were waiting for Morrison. He apparently had a tricky job for them that required an in-person briefing. So they all sat around waiting.

Vergil and Dante were both reading books while they waited. Nero had nothing to do so he stood up and decided to see what they were reading. A quick check revealed that Vergil was reading a poetry book. So perfectly in character.

It was a little weird to see Dante reading an actual book. Especially when Nero noticed that several pages were taller than the rest of it. So he made a grab for it. Dante quickly lifted the book back so Nero grabbed at the longer pages underneath.

It was a magazine. A porn magazine, based on the topless woman right in front of Nero's eyes.

"Give that back," Dante said. He swiped at Nero but he dodged the attack and went towards the door.

"Really, Dante? Hiding your porn in an actual book?"

"Hardly out of character," Vergil said without looking up. He turned the page in his book.

"This'll rot your brain anyway," Nero said. He sat down on the couch and opened up the magazine.

"What about you then?" Dante asked.

"I have the brains to spare," Nero replied.

Vergil chuckled a little.

But then the room fell silent again. And silence was usually a bad thing. 

He looked up to see Dante and Vergil were giving each other looks. Nero knew what those looks meant. So he focused hard on his magazine. He didn't want to do this again.

"What?" Vergil demanded.

"Nothing," Dante replied innocently.

Nero looked up quickly. They were eyeing each other. The storm was coming. He went back to the magazine.

There was a smack and then a crash. Nero looked up. Vergil's chair was knocked over and so was Dante's. The book was across the room. Then, from behind Dante's desk, Vergil went flying. He smashed into the wall on the other side.

Nero went back to his magazine. He didn't care anymore. There was a buzzing sound and then he could see red and blue figures fighting just above the magazine. So he brought it even closer to his face. He didn't care if the place was destroyed around him. He was done with this bullshit.

Nero saw a blur heading towards the front door and then the sound of glass shattering. Vergil threw Dante out a window.

At that moment, Morrison walked in and had to dodge the spray of glass. Dante leapt back in through the broken window and went back to attacking Vergil.

"Not the welcome I expected," Morrison said, walking over to Nero while dusting the glass off his coat, "Are you gonna stop them?"

Nero turned the page in his magazine. "No." 

There was the sound of wood splitting. Nero didn't even look up.

"Alright. You wanna know the mission?"

Nero finally looked up. "Sure." 

"Let's head somewhere with less, uh, violence."

"Sure." Nero put the magazine down just as the music cut out. 

"You must be pretty used to this," Morrison said as he walked out.

"Tell me about it," Nero replied. 

There was a heavy thud but Nero ignored it. This was just normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end. Thank you for reading. I hope you've enjoyed the story. Please leave a kudos or comment if you liked it. Thank you. :)

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to see sneak previews of my upcoming works and get writing tips, please check out my writing blog: a-writing-trickster-angel.tumblr.com


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